Ned made to stand, to follow Jon and have a word with him. But Lyanna grasped his arm and shook her head when he turned to her. She stood instead, smoothing out the skirt of her dress before tracing the footsteps of Jon through the corridor of doors.
She knew where she'd find her, not because she was his mother or anything like that. The smaller corridor they had walked into from the larger one through the Ironwood door was made in the same fashion as the corridors of Winterfell castle. Lyanna knew that was where she'd find Jon, if for nothing more than the comfort of home.
And she found her in probably the smallest of the rooms in that corridor.
He was sitting on the bed, head lowered and hands clutching his knees. Lyanna took a moment before knocking on the door. Jon's head rose slowly and she could see the tears wetting his eyes. He wiped them away quickly.
"Aunt Lyanna" Jon greeted softly.
Not aunt, mother! Lyanna wanted to say, to correct the boy.
Instead, she smiled at him and stepped inside.
"Hello Jon. May I sit?"
Jon gave no verbal response so Lyanna took her seat, right beside the boy. For a while, the two sat in silence.
"You can talk to me," she said eventually when she realized the boy wouldn't speak. He was too much like Ned in that regard, much to her fondness. "I promise to not tell anyone what we speak about."
Jon turned his head at her and Lyanna stared him in the eyes, Stark grey. She was glad that Jon inherited nothing from his father. She remembered Elia saying what was done to Rhaenys and Aegon, she couldn't even imagine what they would have done to Jon.
"Father knew what the state of the Watch was" Jon spoke after another moment of silence, one where Lyanna questioned whether she would get the boy to talk or not and contemplated letting him brood alone. "He knew and he still wanted to send me there."
"The Night's Watch is an old and honourable establishment-"
"It was" Jon interrupted her, "It was an honourable establishment. Now it is where you send your criminals. It's a prison where there is no hope of coming out because you're sworn into it for life!" Jon laughed a hollow laugh. "Father knew this and he said nothing, Uncle Benjen knew this too but he didn't tell me anything. You know who did? Tyrion Lannister! And he's supposed to be the enemy."
"Maybe by sending you there your father wishes to protect you" Lyanna suggested.
"From what?" Jon asked bluntly. "Are criminals safer than Lady Catelyn? Is that what my father thinks?" he scoffed. "It only shows that father didn't want me around either, that he was honour bound to protect me after… after whatever happened to my mother."
Lyanna had nothing to say to that. Well, she had, but by saying it she might make this situation even worse.
"I wish to be left alone for now" Jon whispered.
Lyanna pursed her lips and nodded, leaving without a word. She walked out the door and closed it gently behind her, leaning her forehead against the door and sighing. She had been no help.
"The boy takes too much after his father for his own good" Brandon's voice made Lyanna jump. Her brother was standing beside the door, hands folded over his chest and leaning a shoulder against the stone wall. "Ned was the same at that age. He still might be."
Lyanna gave him a weak smile.
"Come on sister, let's give the boy some space" gently he pried the woman away from the door and led her out of the smaller corridor into the bigger one, a hand placed gently on her shoulder.
Lyanna stole some glances back, hoping that maybe Jon would walk out with them.
"He isn't Ned's son is he" The statement made Lyanna turn sharply to her eldest brother.
The look on her face was enough of an answer for Brandon the elder.
"He will take some time to come down from his shock" Brandon announced as he stepped through the doors. "It's best we continue without him."
He retook his seat, as did Lyanna. She glanced a her brother, but her brother only smiled at the glowing wall.
"Why do you read so much?"
"Look at me and tell me what you see."
"Is this a trick?"
"What you see is a dwarf. If I'd been born a peasant they might've left me out in the woods to die. Alas, I was born a Lannister of Casterly Rock. Things are expected of me. My father was the Hand of the King for 20 years."
"Twenty years" Joanna murmured softly.
"Twenty long years. He quit right after Aerys refused the match between Rhaegar and Cersei" Tyrion explained.
Joanna frowned. That would explain why Cersei was married to Robert instead of Oberyn. Why hadn't Cersei married Oberyn?
"Father was too ambitious' Jaime answered, guessing some of his mother's thoughts, "and after the rebellion only Cersei remained eligible to marry Robert."
Joanna nodded curtly, not looking at her son.
"Until your brother killed that King."
"Yes, until my brother killed him. Life is full of these little ironies. My sister married the new King and my repulsive nephew will be King after him."
"Why don't you like Joffrey? He is your nephew isn't he?" Robb asked.
"Joffrey is… well you've seen how he acts, he's much worse. He's cruel, vile, and spoilt to a sin. He thinks the whole world belongs to him and that anyone who denies it to him deserves to be punished. I'm sure you'll see glimpses of that as we watch."
Robb frowned, as did Ned and Catelyn. But the deepest of frowns came from Sansa, who couldn't believe what she was hearing. The imp had to be lying, he was probably jealous of her handsome Prince.
"I must do my part for the honour of my house, wouldn't you agree? But how? Well, my brother has his sword and I have my mind. And a mind needs books like a sword needs a whetstone. That's why I read so much. And you? What's your story, bastard?"
"Ask me nicely and maybe I'll tell you, dwarf."
"A bastard boy with nothing to inherit, off to join the ancient order of the Night's Watch, alongside his valiant brothers-in-arms."
"The Night's Watch protects the realm from..."
"Yes yes, against grumpkins and snarks and all the other monsters your wet nurse warned you about. You're a smart boy. You don't believe that nonsense... Everything's better with some wine in the belly."
"I'd have guessed he believed none of the things about the Watch" Lady Olenna drawled almost boredly, "but seeing as how his father neglected to mention what the Watch had turned into, I'd say the boy thought the Watch was still a place of honour where he could make a name for himself. You do end up pitying the boy, born a bastard but cared enough that you give him false hope, only to then be thrown to the pits amongst thieves, rapers and murderers."
"I care for Jon," Ned said stubbornly, "The Watch is good for him. He'd be safer there."
"Oh? Will he? I wasn't aware your wife was more dangerous than criminals. Criminals that have an agenda against you for sentencing them there in the first place. I wonder what they'd do to Jon if given the opportunity. I'm sure they'll uphold their vows of brotherhood."
Olenna's sharp smile cut right through a stiff Ned Stark.
"They are brothers of the Watch now" Ned insisted stubbornly.
Olenna rolled her eyes. "It's a wonder the North survived this long with such a naïve Lord."
"Grandmother!" Margaery exclaimed in shock.
Ned Stark remained stiff and the atmosphere in the room turned slightly awkward.
[Scene changes to Bran's bedroom, Catelyn still at his bedside, Maester Luwin walks in.]
"It's time we reviewed the accounts, my lady. You'll want to know how much this royal visit has cost us."
"Talk to Poole about it."
"Poole went south with Lord Stark, my lady. We need a new steward, and several other appointments require our immediate attention..."
"I don't care about appointments!"
"I'll rephrase my statement" Olenna said calmly with a sweet smile, "It's a wonder the North survived this long with these two as Lord and Lady."
"Grandmother please" Margaery whispered.
"The North has done fine in the last fourteen years my father and mother have been Lord and Lady of Winterfell" Robb stood in defence of his parents.
"That has yet to be seen, boy. A war's coming for sure, let's see how your father has prepared the North for it" Olenna barked sharply.
"Robb, sit down," Ned said sharply.
"But father-"
"Sit down."
Robb sat back down with a scowl on his face.
[Robb enters.]
"I'll make the appointments. We'll talk about it first thing in the morning."
"Very good, my Lord. My Lady."
[Maester Luwin leaves.]
"When was the last time you left this room?"
"I have to take care of him."
"He's not going to die, mother. Maester Luwin says the most dangerous time has passed."
"What if he's wrong? Bran needs me."
"Rickon needs you. He's six. He doesn't know what's happening. He follows me around all day, clutching my leg, crying..."
Catelyn flinched at the words Robb spoke on the wall. She had forgotten her youngest in all of this. He wasn't even here right now and still, she didn't notice it.
Beside her, Ned's lips pursed in displeasure, both at the fact that perhaps the future him had he had overestimated what Catelyn would be able to handle with Bran in that state and that he too had forgotten about Rickon.
There was a small flash and the man appeared before them.
"I forgot to mention one more thing to you all. I will place you back to the exact moment I picked you up from, so there will not be an instance of people missing or any chaos because of it."
The man vanished and the people in the room felt a tension they didn't realize they had eased off.
[Wolves howl repeatedly]
"Close the windows! I can't stand it! Please make them stop!"
[Robb goes to close the window but stiffens.]
"Fire. You stay here. I'll come back."
[A moment after Robb rushes out, a man hooded walks in.]
"You're not supposed to be here. No one is supposed to be here. It's a mercy. He's dead already."
"No!"
[The man draws his blade, Catelyn begins to fend him off. In the process, her hands are both sliced. The man walks within inches of Bran and his direwolf comes in and mauls the assassin.]
The Stark eyes turned at once to Jaime Lannister, who did not look at either of them in the eyes. There was only one reason a man would come to kill Bran.
[Scene changes to Catelyn on the ground where Bran's body was discovered, below the tower he fell from. She looks up and sees the window. She now is looking through that same window where Bran fell. She investigates the room, noticing a cleared patch on some flooring, and finding a long strand of blonde hair.]
"I have a bad feeling about this" Brandon the elder muttered, earning a curious glance from Lyanna and a frown from Rickard. The older man had a similar feeling.
[Scene changes to the Godswood with Catelyn, Robb, Theon, Ser Rodrick and Maester Luwin.]
"What I am about to tell you must remain between us. I don't think Bran fell from that tower. I think he was thrown."
"The boy was always sure-footed before."
"Someone tried to kill him twice. Why? Why murder an innocent child? Unless he saw something he wasn't meant to see."
"You're getting warmer" Lyanna leaned forward, excitement in her veins rushing. The sooner those two are caught, the sooner Bran could get justice for the wrong done to him. No matter the kind of man Robert was, she knew if Ned brought something like this to him Robert would believe it without any questions asked.
Jon Arryn frowned at the wall. No doubt he wanted justice to be served, but if this problem reaches Robert and he does something extreme, Tywin Lannister will retaliate and he knew it would not be pretty.
"Saw what, my lady?"
"I don't know. But I would stake my life the Lannisters are involved. We already have reason to suspect their loyalty to the crown."
"You do because of the letter, so does Maester Luwin, the rest? Have you shared the information with them?" Oberyn asked.
Catelyn shrugged. She truly did not know.
"Did you notice the dagger the killer used? It's too fine a weapon for such a man. The blade is Valyrian steel, and the handle is dragonbone. Someone gave it to him."
"That's the dagger I was talking about" Rhaegar spoke up. "Put the blade over a fire and the words will appear."
"So the dagger is Joffrey's then? Why would he wish to kill Bran? Cersei or Jaime wouldn't use Joffrey's dagger because the boy is too fond of it from the moment he got it and would not allow anyone to touch it" Tyrion explained. He remembered Robert gifting it to the boy after the man had won it from Petyr Baelish at the boy's nameday tourney.
"Perhaps the Prince took out the insult he felt when you slapped him on Bran instead of you" Oberyn suggested. "You said it yourself, the boy is cruel. He can't do anything to you yet, so he took it out on the reason he was insulted to begin with."
Tyrion frowned. It was a valid reasoning, but not something Joffrey would do. Joffrey hardly cared about what he could or couldn't do, knowing well that his mother would clean his mess up.
"I don't know" Tyrion finally said with a smile.
"They come into our home and try to murder my brother? If it's war they want..."
"Foolish boy!" Rickard snapped, his tone making everyone jump and Robb shrink slightly, "do you have any idea what you speak of? What could be done to your family should word reach the Lannisters that you wish to start a war?! Do you think you can take on Tywin Lannister of all people and come out victorious? Do you not know the story of the Reynes and Tarbecks?"
Robb shrunk even more at the glare his grandfather pinned on him and remained silent.
"If it comes to that, you know I'll stand behind you."
Rickard glared at Theon next, who bristled and looked away.
"What, is there going to be a battle in the Godswood? Too easily words of war become acts of war. We don't know the truth yet. Lord Stark must be told of this."
"I don't trust a raven to carry these words."
"I'll ride to King's Landing."
"No. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. I will go myself."
Rickard grunted his approval.
"Mother, you can't."
"I must."
"I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen to escort you."
"Too large a party attracts unwanted attention. I don't want the Lannisters to know I'm coming."
Again Rickard grunted his approval. Catelyn had a steady head on her when she didn't let emotions cloud her judgement.
"Let me accompany you at least. The Kingsroad can be a dangerous place for a woman alone."
"What about Bran?"
"I have prayed to the Seven for more than a month. Bran's life is in their hands now."
"And Rickon? Are you going to leave him without explaining what's going on?" Lyanna raised an eyebrow.
"He is too young to understand these things" Catelyn argued.
"He isn't too young to understand that his mother is leaving him to go somewhere. Tell him at least that you won't be there for a while. The child deserves that much at least" Lyanna pointed out.
Catelyn frowned and nodded her head. The woman had a point.
[Scene changes to The Lannisters, travelling Starks and all royal guards who have stopped for the evening to rest on their way to King's Landing.]
"Pardon me, Ser."
"Do I frighten you so much, girl? Or is it him there making you shake? He frightens me too. Look at that face."
"I would be shaken by him as well" Lyanna turned her attention to her eldest niece, smiling kindly at her.
Sansa smiled back, a little relieved that only she did not feel uncomfortable by the man.
"I'm sorry if I offended you, Ser."
[Ser Ilyn walks away.]
"Why won't he speak to me?"
"He hasn't been very talkative these last 20 years. Since the mad King had his tongue ripped out with hot pincers."
"Why did he do that?!" Arya asked in shock and disgust.
"Ser Ilyn was the captain of the guard for my father when he served as Hand of the King for King Aerys II Targaryen. Ilyn was overheard saying it was my father who truly ruled the Seven Kingdoms, rather than Aerys. The King did not take it kindly"
"That's dumb. What good are words? He's still King and nobody could have changed that" Arya argued.
Tyrion smiled.
"Kings do not have thoughts like us child. They take offence in the smallest and most insignificant things" the half-man explained.
Robert coughed, glaring at Tyrion when he looked at the fat man.
"Except you, of course, my good brother. You're not like those Targaryens after all."
Robert looked satisfied while Arya shook her head at Tyrion's smirk.
"He speaks damn well with his sword though. Ser Ilyn Payne, the King's justice. The royal executioner. What is it, sweet lady? Does the hound frighten you? Away with you, dog. You're scaring my lady. I don't like to see you upset. The sun is finally shining. Come walk with me."
"He is a sweet talker" Elia mused out loud.
"All that sweetness to hide what's inside him" Tyrion shook his head with a scowl.
[Sansa turns to her Direwolf.]
'Stay, Lady. I probably shouldn't have any more. Father only lets us have one cup at feasts."
"My princess can drink as much as she wants. Don't worry... You're safe with me."
[In a field next to a river, off from where everyone else is.]
"I'll get you!"
Arya's eyes lit up. She made a friend! And he was willing to play with her.
"Arya!"
[Arya turned to Sansa and Joffrey]
"What are you doing here? Go away."
"Your sister? And who are you, boy?"
"This will not end well will it" Daenerys whispered and Robb shook his head.
"Mycah, my Lord."
"He's the butcher's boy."
"He's my friend."
Arya and Sansa shared a look, neither of them happy.
"A butcher's boy who wants to be a Knight, eh? Pick up your sword, butcher's boy. Let's see how good you are."
"She asked me to, my Lord. She asked me to."
"I'm your prince, not your lord, and I said pick up your sword."
"It's not a sword, my prince. It's only a stick."
"Why is he bullying him?" Arya scowled.
"Maybe he should have known his place and not played a Knight" Sansa snapped.
"Girls" Catelyn hissed in a warning and both of them looked away from each other.
"And you're not a Knight. Only a butcher's boy. That was my lady's sister you were hitting, do you know that?"
"Stop it!"
"Arya, stay out of this."
"No, stand up for him" Lyanna turned to Sansa, "A knight can come from anywhere. A good knight can come from nothing, like Ser Duncan the Tall. And a bad knight can come from prestige and wealth, like Ser Jaime Lannister."
Jaime bristled at the insult. What did she know about the good he had done? What did any of them know?
"I won't hurt him... Much."
[Arya throws a rock at Joffrey.]
"You shouldn't have done that" Margaery winced. Things were going to end terribly.
"Filthy little bitch!"
"No no, stop it, stop it, both of you. You're spoiling it. You're spoiling everything!"
"Ruining what exactly?" Robb gave his sister a look.
"Everything" Sansa whispered, but did not specify what 'everything' meant.
"I'll gut you, you little cunt!"
"Such strong language" Oberyn whistled.
"Arya!"
[Arya then steps in and fights with Joffrey, disarming him and putting him on his back.]
"That's the heir to the Iron Throne?" Brandon's brows raised in shock and amusement. "He got disarmed by a girl! – I meant an untrained girl, gods Lyanna" the man muttered, rubbing her side where his sister had elbowed him.
[Her direwolf sees this as a threat and runs in to defend.[
"Nymeria!"
"Please don't."
"Arya, leave him alone. My prince, my poor prince, look what they did to you. Stay here, I'll go back to the inn and bring help."
"Then go! Don't touch me."
[A hunt has begun for the direwolf that attacked Joffrey.]
Soldier 1: The wolf's not here. Look down by the stream.
[Arya hidden from everyone telling her direwolf to leave.]
"You've got to go. They'll kill you for what you did to Joffrey. Go on... run. Go! Leave now!"
[Nymeria stares at Arya.]
"Go!"
[Nymeria rushes off.]
"Poor pup" Lyanna whispered. All she tried to do was help her mistress. She only hoped that her niece would be okay.
[Scene changes to the Inn where everyone is staying. Arya rushes to Ned when he walks in.]
"I'm sorry."
"Are you hurt?"
"No."
"It's all right."
[He turns to the King.]
"What is the meaning of this? Why was my daughter not brought to me at once?"
"You're lucky the king is Robert. Anyone else and you'd be without a head for speaking like that" Rickard grunted, eyeing his stiff son. But then again what was he being a hypocrite for? He had done the same thing for Brandon. Damned Wolf's blood.
"How dare you speak to your King in that manner?"
"Quiet, woman. Sorry, Ned. I never meant to frighten the girl. But we need to get this business done quickly."
"Your girl and that butcher's boy attacked my son. That animal of hers nearly tore his arm off."
"Nearly tore his arm off" Olenna barked a laugh, "I've had worse from my days as a young girl than what this lion spawn had here!"
Margaery shook her head with a smile.
"That's not true! She just... Bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah."
"Joffrey told us what happened. You and that boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him."
"Clubs? Some of her size? IS the woman aware that her words insult her son?" Elia asked with wide eyes.
"Apparently not" Oberyn snorted. He was lucky to not have ended up with Cersei Lannister. He almost felt bad for the fat fucker that did marry her.
"That's not what happened!"
"Yes, it is! They all attacked me and she threw my sword in the river."
"This is what Cersei raised?" Joanna turned accusatory eyes at Jaime.
"After the loss of her first, she became overly protective of Joffrey. She spoiled him, wouldn't listen to a word any of us said" Jaime sighed.
"Liar!"
"I think it would be in the best interest of your family, Lord Stark, that you teach your daughter how to speak to a Prince of the realm, and what the consequences of behaviour like this can be" Lady Olenna said sharply. She disliked the boy as much as the next, but she still found Arya's manners appalling.
"Shut up!"
"Enough! He tells me one thing, she tells me another. Seven hells! What am I to make of this? Where's your other daughter, Ned?
"In bed asleep."
"She's not. Sansa, come here, darling."
[Sansa walks up from behind Ned.]
"Now, child... Tell me what happened. Tell it all and tell it true. It's a great crime to lie to a King."
"I don't know. I don't remember. Everything happened so fast. I didn't see."
Arya turned wide betrayed eyes at her sister. "I don't believe this…"
"Liar! Liar liar liar!"
"Arya!"
"Stop it! That's enough of that."
"Liar liar liar!"
"Stop! Arya!"
"She's as wild as that animal of hers. I want her punished."
"What would you have him do? Whip her?!" Lyanna snapped.
"What would you have me do, whip her through the streets? Damn it, children fight. It's over."
Lyanna did not look too pleased at the fact that she and Robert thought the same thing.
Robert on the other hand did.
"Joffrey will bear these scars for the rest of his life."
"Most men would be happy to have had a scar in the first place" Tyrion snorted.
"You let that little girl disarm you? See to it that your daughter is disciplined. I'll do the same with my son."
"Gladly, your Grace."
"Good" Lyanna muttered. Quicker this ends the better.
"And what of the direwolf? What of the beast that savaged your son?"
"Damned bitch!" Lyanna swore, much to the joy and shock of the rest.
"I'd forgotten the damned wolf."
"We found no trace of the direwolf, your Grace."
"So be it."
"We have another wolf."
"No!" Sansa gasped in horror.
"As you will."
"You can't mean it."
"A direwolf's no pet. Get her a dog. She'll be happier for it."
"Like your wife got your son?" Lyanna glared at Robert.
"Don't blame me for this" Robert sighed. "Tell your nieces to work together. If she'd supported her sister they wouldn't be in this mess."
Lyanna blinked at the man. He wasn't wrong.
"He doesn't mean Lady, does he?'
"What other wolf is there?" Arya glared at her sister. If only she did what Robb and Jon do and supported each other, supported her!
"No no, not Lady! Lady didn't bite anyone! She's good!"
"Lady wasn't there! You leave her alone!"
"Stop them. Don't let them do it. Please! It wasn't Lady!"
"Is this your command... your Grace?"
"Where is the beast?"
"Chained up outside, your Grace."
"Ser Ilyn, do me the honour."
"No. Jory... Take the girls to their rooms. If it must be done, then I'll do it myself."
"Is this some trick?"
"The wolf is of the north. She deserves better than a butcher."
Sansa was sobbing, still begging to spare the wolf she had yet to receive.
[Once outside, before Ned lays to rest the direwolf.]
"The butcher's boy... You rode him down?"
"He ran... Not very fast."
Arya blinked back her tears. Mycah was her friend.
"I hope you're happy with yourself" the girl snarled at her older sister.